Marie Taylor (Head of Finance – Children and Education) will update Schools Forum on the journey so far.
Ben Bryant and Karina Kulawik will present the recommendations from the ISOS Partnership at the meeting. (The final report is confidential and included in Part II of the Agenda papers).
Helean Hughes (Director – Education & Skills) and Matt Sambrook (Consultant Headteacher for the Local Authority & Head Teacher of Exeter House Special School) will discuss the next steps at the meeting.
Minutes:
Marie Taylor (Head of Finance – Children and Education) referred to the journey so far presentation (shown at the meeting and attached as Appendix 1 to this Minutes) which showed the timeline and actions take by the Authority to address the budget pressures on the high needs block.
Ben Bryant and Karina Kulawik from the ISOS Partnership were present at the meeting to share the findings and recommendations from their final report (attached under Agenda item 18 as a confidential part II paper). It was confirmed that this report was no longer confidential and could now be shared as appropriate.
Ben reported to the Forum that he intended to give them the top line messages from the findings (presentation slides from meeting attached as Appendix 2 to the Minutes) and referred Forum members to the main report (which was now available as detailed above). Ben explained the aims of the review:
Evidence: To build an evidence base and collective understanding of how effectively the local system supports young people with high needs.
Engagement: To engage a broad range of partners, build consensus and harness collective expertise to shape and implement solutions.
Shared strategy: To work co-productively to develop a shared strategic approach.
ISOS approached the project as follows:
Phase 1 – Initial scoping
Between January and March 2019, ISOS carried out initial work to understand the current context, analysis of data and documents and scoped out their evidence-gathering.
Phase 2 – In-depth evidence gathering
Between April and May 2019, ISOS carried out broad engagements with key partners to gather feedback and evidence.
Phase 3 – Testing findings and shaping recommendations
Between June and July 2019, ISOS were testing findings and shaping recommendations and a future approach through co-production.
Ben thanked all those that had worked with ISOS and contributed to workshops etc.
Ben detailed the overarching messages which were:
· Wiltshire is a well-regarded local SEND and high needs system.
· The system is, however, facing considerable demand and financial pressures.
· There is a willingness to forge new relationships and a collective ethos around high needs.
· There is the need to build strong, strategic and co-productive relationships and partnerships with all key partners in the local system.
· There is the need to ensure core processes that govern the day to day operation of the system are effective, transparent and have the confidence of families and professionals.
· There needs to be a strategically planned continuum of SEND and high needs support, services and provision.
As part of the six broad themes (detailed below) that the review has explored, Ben gave details of the headline findings, potential “quick wins” and the identified longer term actions to the Forum.
1. Co-production with parents/carers and young people.
2. Partnerships working across education, health and care.
3. Identification, assessment and access to support.
4. Building inclusive capacity in mainstream schools and settings and providing targeted support for inclusion.
5. Developing responsive, effective local specialist provision.
6. Preparation for adulthood.
As previously identified the high needs block resources in Wiltshire are under severe pressure with an overspend that has been growing since 2016/17. As a first step ISOS looked at areas of spend that account for a significant proportion of the high needs block and where there has been growth in spending for the last 3 full financial years. Four areas were identified (detailed below) and ISOS had identified what might need to be done to get back to a balanced budget:
· Top-ups
· Non-maintained Special School placements
· Specialist bespoke packages at Independent Special Schools
· Enhanced Learning Provision in secondary schools.
A Forum Member commented that if nationally there is a move to bring more children back into mainstream education that will mean a further increase in EHCP’s which will continue to increase budget pressures. Does this Authority approve too many EHCPs and are they “too soft”?
Ben responded that there were some perceived inconsistencies that a rise in requests would mean a rise in volume and in turn a rise in acceptance of an EHCP. Work would need to be undertaken to ensure that there was a rigorous and consistent decision-making process in place. Karina Kulawik reported that most requests for EHCPs are identified in early years and that is a problem for Wiltshire as those young people will stay with them. The push for EHCPs comes from all directions and they are seen by most as the way for an early intervention when most cases it should be delivered through SEN support services. The Authority would need to build trust around extended support and outreach SEN support and not automatically go down the EHCP route.
A Forum Member asked if there was any correlation to others who receive similar funding to us – are we overspent because we are poorly funded? Ben responded that, yes, we are less well off than our statistical neighbours, but the pressure is not solely caused by underfunding and he did not feel there was any direct correlation. Wiltshire is unique as most schools head for an EHCP as a mechanism for support.
A Forum Member asked if support is not funded by an EHCP – where does it come from? Helean Hughes (Director – Education & Skills) reported that they are working on a pathway which is a pre to an EHCP. They were exploring current resources and spending on assessments to look at alternatives. It would be a cultural change not just go down the EHCP route, but to explore and offer SEN support. With the increase in EHCP requests it is a vicious circle as Support Workers spend a lot of time writing reports in response to applications and so have less time available to go into schools to provide SENCO support.
Helean Hughes (Director – Education & Skills) explained to the Forum the next steps following the ISOS findings.
Work had been undertaken to re-structure the Education and Skills Teams from November 2019. There would be closer alignment with School Effectiveness and a new post of Head of Inclusion and SEND was being recruited to. The final structure is attached as Appendix 3 to the Minutes.
Short term developments
• Matt Sambrook (Headteacher of Exeter House Special School and CEO of the Somerset Road Education Trust) had been seconded to work 3 days a week to lead on developing a joined-up approach to inclusion across Wiltshire. This was funded through FACT and had no impact on the high needs block;
• There had been a review of the SEND panel to ensure consistent chairing, application of banding and this was currently awaiting approval by Terence Herbert (Executive Director);
• The Team was developing communication by hosting free Heads’ briefings and SENCo briefings to keep them informed of developments
• The SEMH pathway is being developed
• Transitions framework- clearer outcomes to be delivered
• A review of alternative provision in primary and secondary schools was being carried out (Forum Members were encouraged to complete the online survey)
• A targeted review of Independent Special School placements and electively home educated children was being carried out to look at who might be able to come back into mainstream schools with support
Long term developments – co-produced
• Review of ELP- redefine the model and align with resource bases
• Refining the banding framework (this is in conjunction with a FACT workstream)
• Providing targeted support without an EHCP- pathway being defined- enhancing SENs
• In-reach and out-reach- new schools in the north and the south
• Dyslexia specialisms in primary and secondary schools. Upskill schools to be able to support those with dyslexia
• Inclusion aligned to regional working (already working with School Effectiveness).
A Forum Member asked when would the “short term” developments be in place – Helean reported that it was planned to be this academic year – 2019/20.
Forum Members felt that the Authority should be ambitious and work towards all schools being dyslexia friendly. Helean reported that this was being worked towards – it was planned that schools would be trained up and that other schools could lead the work to make this happen.
Marie Taylor (Head of Finance – Children and Education) asked how it was intended to recruit volunteers from schools to help with all planned improvements/changes? It seems to be volunteers always from the same schools! Helean reported that she would be going to the School Governors conference in November (which would hopefully be represented by all Wiltshire Schools) to ask for volunteers there.
The Forum thanked Ben Bryant and Karina Kulawik from ISOS for all their work on the high needs review that was carried out.
A Forum Member asked how and when updates on the work would be received. It was suggested that this be reported via the School Funding Working Group.
Helean Hughes reported that the SEND Board was to be re-established. The Forum would be interested in the financial aspects of this and would look to hold them to account and so would welcome a regular progress report.
A Forum Member noted that they would be asked to make financial decisions in January and would need as much information as possible to be able to make informed decisions. Marie Taylor reported that the identified savings won’t be visible by January 2020 and we won’t see the impact of any changes for some time. There will also be a review of Independent Special School placements and movement on this will depend on Headteacher’s inclusively being able to accept children back into mainstream and parent’s willingness to move their children.
The Forum accepted that all schools would need to work together and that it will take a few years for these changes to come through and for need to spend less is accepted but no one wants this to affect a child’s education.
Marie Taylor reported that they would be having to ask all schools how they use their SEN funding. The School and SEM Funding Working Group would meet before the December Forum meeting and the January 2020 Forum meeting.
Resolved:
That Schools Forum support the proposals identified by ISOS in relation to the high needs review in principle and that further reports are brought to Schools Forum in due course.